Terry has also been fined £220,000 by a Football Association commission who found him guilty of racial abuse during a match at Loftus Road in October 2011.

Mourinho, now manager of La Liga champions Real Madrid, insists his former captain is not a racist.

"He's not a racist - that's 100%" he told CNN. "We had a squad where we had 12 African players in the squad. It was a fantastic squad and he always had a great relationship with every one of them.

"But in football it can happen during a match, because football sometimes is more than a game and sometimes you have reactions that don't represent what you are really.

"Probably he had a racist comment or attitude against an opponent. Sometimes in football we do things the wrong way. If he had that reaction he should pay - but please don't say he's a racist. (Didier) Drogba, (Claude) Makelele...all of them will say he's not a racist.

"I never felt it (racism) in my dressing room. And I have always had African players in every one of my teams."

Terry has 14 days from receiving the written reasons for his suspension to lodge an appeal against the decision.